The present invention relates generally to vehicle members that mount and seal together, and in particular to engine covers that mount and seal to engine rings that have removable access plates.
Many vans and small trucks are configured with short front ends and resulting engine compartments that extend partially into the passenger compartments of these vehicles. In order to separate the two compartments, an engine ring and engine cover may be employed. The engine ring mounts to the frame or body around the opening between the engine and passenger compartments. The engine cover encloses the portion of the engine extending into the passenger compartment and has a perimeter that mates and seals with the engine ring. Typically, the perimeter has a bulb or other type of seal mounted thereon in order to assure a good seal. The engine cover and engine ring, then, will help keep noise and fumes from the engine out of the passenger compartment.
One of the difficulties with the types of vehicles that have the engine compartment extending into the passenger compartment is access to certain components and subassemblies mounted to the engine. Such access may be needed for service or repair of certain parts. In particular, the engine ring and engine cover are typically located close to the engine in order to minimize the intrusion into and thus maximize the space in the passenger compartment. While the engine cover is removable, the engine ring is not, so components and subassemblies mounted on the engine adjacent to the engine ring may be very difficult or impossible to service without removing the engine from the vehicle or cutting a hole in the engine ring. For example, an engine may have an individual fuel injector for each cylinder. Aligning each fuel injector with its corresponding cylinder, then, fixes the location of the fuel injectors, even if not at the most desirable locations relative to the engine ring. With the engine ring being located close to the engine, there may be fuel injectors that cannot be removed for service without removing the engine or cutting a hole in the engine ring.
Both of these repair options have significant drawbacks. Removing the engine is very time consuming, and so presents a significant cost concern when only a small component or subassembly needs servicing. But cutting a hole in the engine ring may also be time consuming and costly, and also might reduce the effectiveness of the seal between the engine ring and engine cover more than is desirable. Thus, both options are less than satisfactory. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a way to relatively easily service engine components or subassemblies where the engine ring may interfere with such servicing, while also avoiding the drawbacks of the prior art.